Signaling mechanism



F. R. MCMURRY.

SIGNALING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.8,1918.

1,387,783. Patnted Apr..2o,1920.

Racplw'ma /2 6 z E z u lD UNITED sTATEs :PATENT oEEicE.

FRED R. MCMURRY, WESTWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T WESTERN ELECTRICCOMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, Nv. Y., A CORPORATION' OF NEW YORK.

SIGNALIN'G MEcHanrsi/L Application filed February 8, 1918.

To all whom t may concern ,of.New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful lmprovements in Signaling Mechanism, of which the following is afull,

clear, concise, and exact description.

y This invention relateslto telegraphy and particularly to improvementsin intercommunicating printing telegraph systems.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of means wherebyan operator at any one Yof two 'or more connected stations may be ableto interrupt the transmission of a message .and signalthe sendingoperator at will.

A Jfurther object is to provide apparatus and circuits therefor arrangedin a novel and reliable manner, whereby a minimum number of operatingparts are required for insuring the operation of a signaling apparatus.

The invention is herein illustrated as applied to a printing telegraphsystem of the rotary.` distributer type, wherein the distributerarms atall stations are controlled by the sending distribut'er and are stoppedand started once per revolution, therebyinsuring unison of operation ofall distributers. It is to be understood, however, that this inventionis in no way restricted to such a type ot printing telegraph systems.

lFor accomplishing the above objects an electricalenergy storage deviceis provided under the control of a relay connected in the line circuitand associated with a circuit controlling mechanism, which mechanism isunresponsive to normal currents provided-by the electrical energystorage device, when signaling current impulses are being sent to line,but is responsive to increased currents given off by said storagedevice. such as are provided when the line or loop is closed after beingopened a sufficient time to permit the storage device to store up energyto its full capacity. The energy storage device may consistof acondenser or any suitable electro-static storage device connected tothe-armature of a relay in the line circuit, which condenser is adaptedto be charged when the relay armature engages its back Contact, and todischarge through the winding of a circuit control- Specifcation ofLetters Patent.

.mitted Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

serial No. 216,092.

ling relay when the line relay armature engages its front contact. Thus,the. condenser will be charged and discharged alternately whilesignaling impulses are being sent over the line, due to the vibratoryaction of the line relay armature, and the condenser will not bepermitted to attaima charge sufficient t0 eii'ect the actuation of thecircuit or signal controlling relay as long as signaling impulses arebeing transrlowever, should an operator at any receiving station wish toeffect the actuation of a signaling device at the sending station, inorder to attract the attention of the transmitting operator, this may beaccomplished by the receiving operator opening the line or loop at thatstation for an appreciable interval of time, and then immediatelyafterward closingy the line.

' Opening the line causes the denergization IThe length of time requiredto charge the condenser to its full capacity may be controlled byplacing a suitable non-inductive high resistance 52 in series with thecharging battery 5l.

The above and other objects of this invention will be fully set forth inthe following description and claims, and will be more readilyunderstood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which isdisclosed diagrammatically one specific embodiment of the invention.

This invention is here shown adapted for use with a current impulsedistributing systern operating over a closed loop on the Morseprinciple. Obviously it is equally suitable for use with a systemoperating over a single line. conductor with `the usual ground return.The apparatus shown in the accompanying drawing is that usually employedat a single station, although some of the stations may be provided withonly the receiving apparatus shown in the accompanying drawing. Anynumber of stations may be interconnected, and while one station istransmitting, all'other stations may act as receiving stations.

The loop is represented 1n the accompanying drawing by conductors 1` and2, With the usual line relay 3 connected in the loop. When thedistributing apparatus is at rest the loop is closed through segment 47,brush 18 and sending ring 19. Any other station along the line that isprovided with transmitting apparatus, will be connected 1n a mannersimilar to the transmitting apparatus shown in the accompanying drawing,lWhile if only receiving apparatus is employed the usual line relay willbe connected in the loop. Therefore, when all of the distributers are atrest, the line relays at the respective stations Will be energized andthe armatures controlled thereby will be held in engagement With theirrespective front contacts. f

A sending distributer 5 coperates ivith suitable current control means Gto form current impulses for the line, and a receiving distributer 105coperates with the 'line relay 3 to distribute the effects of the linecurrent impulses to a selecting mechanism 106 for ,operating a receivingor home-recording mechanism, such as a printer. Each of the distributerfaces is provided with a rotary brush arm which is frictionally mountedon a constantly rotating shaft 31 and is adapted to be released andstopped once per revolution, all of the distributer arms beingcontrolled bythe sending distributer.

The selectable contacts 11 to 15, inclusive, of the current controlmeans 6 may be actuated by a manually operable keyboard or by anautomatic tape transmitter, both of which are Well known in the art.lVhenever a character or letter combination is set up by the currentcontrol means 6. a common.

contact 10 is closed, thereby completing a circuit from grounded battery9. back contact and armature 8 of break relay 7 energizing Winding ofsending-start relay 4, contact 10, loca'l segment 16, brush 20 and localring 21, to ground. Sending-start relay 4 thereupon attracts itsarmatures 22, 23 and 24. The attraction of armature 22 establishes aholding circuit for relay 4 from grounded battery 25, armature 22 andfront- Contact thereof, holding winding of sending-start relay 4,segment 16, brush 20 and ring 21, to ground. This holding circuit willbe maintained as long as brush 2O connects segment 16 with ring 21. Theattraction of armature 23 completes a circuit through the break relay 7,but the relay is not energized at this time because condenser 26 has notbeen charged to its full capacity. The attraction of armature 24completes an energizing circuit for the start magnet 27 from groundedbattery 28 through armature 24 and front contact thereof, and Winding ofmagnet 27, to ground. lVIagnet 27 thereupon withdraws holding paivl 29from enthe brush 18 passes olf of segment 47 the line o1' loop isopened, and consequently all of the line relays 3 at the connectedstations are denergized, and their armatures engage their respectiveback contacts. llhen the armature 33 of each of the line relays at theconnected stations engages itsback contact, a circuit is completed fromgrounded battery 34, armature 33 and back contact thereof, receivinglocal ring 121, brush 120, segment 116, through receiving-start magnet127, to ground. Current in this circuitcauses the receiving-start magnetto \vith.

draw holding paivl 129 from engagement with the rotary distributer arm130, thereby permitting the dist1ibute1arm at the receiving stat-ion torotate in the same manner as the corresponding arm at the sendingstation. The line or loop has now been opened by the brush 18 passingoff of segment 47 l and it will remain open while the brush 1S passesover thedead or disconnected segment 41. Consequently, all of the linerelays at the connected stations Will remain deenergized until the loopis again closed.

Now assume that a character combination has been set up on thecurrent-control means 6, by closing the selectable contacts 11 and 14.Then as brush 18 passes over sending segments 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46, theline or loop will be closed or opened, depending upon which of theselectable contacts 11 to 15 have been actuated. Since ive have assumedthatonly selectable contacts 11 and sending common ring 19, and the loopwill be open While the brush 18 passes from segment 42 to segment 45,and from seo'ment 45 to segment 47; consequently, the llne relayarmatures Will-be caused to vibrate in accordance with the condition ofthe loop or circuit through the line relays. The receiving arm 130 ateach of the receiving stations 1s arranged to travel at approximatelythe `same rate of speed as the sending distributer arm 30; consequently,brushrllS will pass over and connect receiving segments 142, 143, 144,145 and 146 With the receiving common segment 119, While brush 18 passesover and-connects sending segments 42. 43. 44, 45 and 46 respectively,with the sending common ring 19. Therefore, Whenever the loop is closeddue to the actuation of the selectable contacts 11 to 15, inclusive, theline relays at each of the receiving stations will be energized. Theline relay armatures 33 will be 1n engagement with their respective`Lasagna front contacts, while brush 18 passes over segments'42 and 45,and a circuit will, therefore, be completed from grounded battery 34through armature 33 and front contact thereof, receiving segment 119,brush 118, segment 142 and selecting magnet 111, to ground, and alsoover the corresponding circuit to the segment 145, and through thewinding of selecting magnet 114, to ground. 1n this manner thecharacters or letter combinations setup by the current 'control meansmay be sent out to anynumber of receiving stations and the characters orletter combinations may be recorded by suitable receiving or recordingmechanism.

The local segments' 147 and 148 are ar ranged to be connected by thebrush 118 after it has passedrover the five selecting segments, for thepurpose of completing a circuit through any suitable mechanism, forexample-a printing magnet, to record or print the character selected orset up by the selecting mechanism 106.

From an examination of the drawing, it will readilycbe seen that thesending-start magnet 27 and receiving-startcmagnet 127 will bedenergized shortly after the respective distributer brush arms arereleased so that the holding pawlsJ 29 and 129 respectively will fallback in readiness to engage the distributer arms each timey theycomplete a revolution.

`N ow, should a receivingoperator at any of the receiving stations wishto signal the sending operator for any reason whatsoever, for example-tohave certain portions of a message corrected or repe'ated, the attentionof the sending operator may be attracted in the following manner:

At each receiving station a key or switch 50 is provided for the purposeof opening the loop. At the sending or central station the line relay isprovided with the additional armature 32, for the purposel ofcontrolling a circuit through the break relay or circuit controllingmechanism 7. An electrical energy storage device or condenser 26 isprovided for operating'the relay 7. One terminal of the condenser ispermanently connected to the line-relay armature 32 and the otherterminal thereof is connected to ground. The line-relay armature 32copcrates with a back contact in order to provide charging current forthe condenser 26, from grounded battery 51 through resistance 52,v backcontact of armature 32, and condenser 26, to ground. lVhen the armature32 is in engagement with its front contact a circuit is completed fromone terminal of condenser 26, armature 32 and front contact thereof,armature 23 of sendingstart relay 4 and contact thereof, through theenergizing winding of the break relay 7, to ground. This circuit iscompleted whenever the line relay is energized and the arnaling device.The attraction of the `relay mature 23 of the relay 4 is in itsattracted position. It will be seen that when impulses are being sentover the line, the line relay will be alternately energized anddenergized, depending upon the character combir'iations set up by thecurrent control means, and consequently, the line relay armature 32 willnot remain in engagement with its back contact for a sutlicient periodof time to permit the condenser 26 to charge to its full capacity.However, should an operator at any one of the receiving stations actuatethe switch 50, thereby opening the loop for a period of time suilicientto permit the condenser 26 to charge to its full capacity and then againclose the loop, thereby causing the line relay to attract its armature32 and establish a circuit through relay 7 as hereinbefore traced, thebreak relay 7 will be caused to operate due to the discharged currentfrom condenser 26. Relay 7 thereuponattracts its armatures 8, 54 and 58.The attraction of armature 8 opens the energizing circuit of thesending-start relay 4, thereby preventing further rotation of thesending distributer. The attraction of armature 54 establishes anenergizing circuit through the signaling device 55, which may be a bell,lamp or any other well known sigarmature 58 establishes a holdingircuitfrom grounded battery 59, switch 60, armature 58 and contact thereof,through winding of relay 7, to ground, so that the relay 7 will remainenergized and the operating circuit through the signaling device will bemaintained until the sending operator appears and opens the holdingcircuit through the by withdrawing the switch 60. Y

After the transmitting operators attention has been attracted, thereceiving operator may then communicate with the sending operator bymeans of a key and sounder or by means of a current control mechanismsuch as shown at 6.

This feature in telegraph parlance is known as breaking or break-insignals and is highly desirable, especially in systems where one stationis rality of stations are receiving. Such a system finds a ready ield innews distribution work, where newspaper items are sent from a centralstation to a plurality of outlying stations.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telegraph system, the combination of a sending station and areceiving station, a signaling device at the sending station, linecircuit connections extending between said stations, a line relay at thesending station, a second relay at the sending station under the controlof theline relay for controlling said signaling device, an armature forsaid line relay, electro-responsive means connected to the linerelayarmature,

sending and a pluand means at the receiving station for controlling'theaction of said electro-responsive means to effect the actuation of saidsignaling device through the instrumentality of said .second relay.

2. In a telegraph system, the combination ofl a sending station and areceiving station, a signaling device at the sending station,

i line circuit connections extending between said stations, a line relayat the sending station, a condenser associated with the line relay,means at the receiving station for controlling the electrical conditionof said condenser, and means operable by the discharge current of said,condenser Jfor controlling the operation of said signaling device.

3. In a telegraph system, the combination of a sending station and areceiving station, line circuit connections extending between saidstations, a line relay at the sending station, an armature for saidrelay, opposing contacts 'for said armature, a condenser connected tosaid armature and adapted to be charged when the armature engages theback contact thereof, a circuit controlling device associated with the.said condenser and, adapted to be operated by the condenser dischargewhen the line relay armature engages its 'front contact, and a signalingdevice responsive to the actuation of said circuit controlling device.

4. In a telegraph system the combination 'of a sending station and areceiving station,

a signaling device at thesending station, line circuit connectionsextending between said stations, a line lrelay at the sending station,impulse storage means located at the sending station and associated Withthe line relay, means for storing energy in said storage means, andmeans at the receiving station for eecting and operation of saidsignaling device by releasing the energy stored in said storage means.

5. In a telegraph system the combination of a sending station and areceiving station, a signaling device at the sending station, a linecircuit connecting said stations, a line relay at the sending station,electro-static storage means associated with the line relay,

and means at the receiving station for ef# fecting the operation of saidsignaling device through the instrumentality of said electro-staticstorage means.

In Witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 31st day of JanuaryA. D., 1918.

FRED R. MCMURRY.

